Forgotten Favorites: Little Steven’s “Lyin’ In A Bed Of Fire”

Post-[lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]Springsteen[/lastfm], pre-Sopranos, [lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]Steven Van Zandt[/lastfm] put out a series of solo albums that rocked the house. “Lyin’ in a Bed of Fire,” a favorite that had fallen off my radar, was the first track on the first of those records.

Best known as the do-rag-capped guitarist in Springsteen’s E-Street Band (and, alternately, as Silvio Dante in The Sopranos), Steven Van Zandt was also a solo artist, producing four of the five records in his catalog during the 1980s.

The first, Men Without Women, named after a series of stories by Ernest Hemingway, was inspired by Van Zandt’s production work on [lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]Gary “U.S.” Bonds[/lastfm]’ comeback album, Dedication. Taking the name “Little Steven,” so as to distance himself from Springsteen and also pay tribute to his hero, Little Richard, Van Zandt went about producing the record in 1982 with a stable of musicians he called “The Disciples of Soul.”

A close cousin to the sound of Springsteen and [lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]Southside Johnny[/lastfm], “Lyin’ in a Bed Fire” rocks just the same, pulling out every rock and soul trick in the books: a driving groove, big time horns, background singers and Van Zandt’s adenoid-pinched vocals. True rock and roll at a time in history when that was sometimes hard to find.

One Comment

God, Steve mumbles just as well as Springsteen!! Both of them are terrific singers!!

You should see this Canadian parody of Springsteen and Bob Dylan singer together on stage. It’s done by a group called “The Royal Canadian Air Farce” which had been on Canadian Television for 15 seasons and were great at parodying everything Canadian, our friends to the South (especially George W. Bush).

One of the members of this troupe recently passed away unfortunately (RIP), but their memories are left for everyone toe enjoy online on the net and I have several of their DVD’s. They’re really a very funny group!! Can check ’em out on YOUTUBE.